• Student and professor talking in Cancer Research Center UAlbany's entry plaza with green grass and fountain jets going. In the background, the academic podium stands tall against the bright blue sky.

    Epidemiology & Biostatistics

    Department

The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics prepares students who wish to investigate the causes and risk factors of diseases and injuries in populations. Epidemiologists conduct both experimental and observational studies within the community, including studying the characteristics of individuals and their physical and social environments. Their findings provide public health practitioners and policy makers with guidance to promote health and prevent and control diseases and injuries. Epidemiology students learn from and participate with faculty members, most of whom are employees of the New York State Department of Health with University at Albany appointments. These faculty are actively practicing epidemiology and addressing the public health problems and priorities of New York.

Programs

Masters

Biostatistics MS | STEM |

Biostatistics MS | STEM |

Epidemiology MS | STEM |

Epidemiology MS | STEM |

Public Health MPH | +JD Option |

Public Health MPH | +JD Option |
Public Health MPH | +JD Option |
Public Health MPH | +JD Option |
Public Health MPH | +JD Option |
Public Health MPH | +JD Option |
Public Health MPH | +JD Option |
Doctoral

Biostatistics PhD | STEM |

Biostatistics PhD | STEM |

Epidemiology PhD | STEM |

Epidemiology PhD | STEM |
Recent News

Guthrie Birkhead Receives Hermann M. Biggs Memorial Medal and Certificate

Guthrie Birkhead, Professor Emeritus in Epidemiology & Biostatistics has been selected for the Hermann M. Biggs Memorial Medal and Certificate (State Leadership) for the 2021 New York State Public Health Partnership Conference Annual Awards. Every year, New York State Public Health Association (NYSPHA) presents awards in several different categories to those with outstanding leadership efforts.

5 Questions with Faculty: Akiko Hosler

Akiko Hosler, PhD, is Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director at the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Prior to joining the University at Albany in 2007, she served as Director of Diabetes Surveillance and Evaluation at the New York State Department of Health for 11 years. Dr. Hosler’s research has two major areas of focus; diabetes and its associated metabolic disorders, and the built environment and its impact on health.

Creating Suicide Safer Care in Behavioral Health Settings
ALBANY, N.Y. (April 5, 2021) – Clinical Associate Professor Brett Harris and Associate Professor Melissa Tracy collaborated with colleagues at the New York State Office of Mental Health to evaluate the quality of suicide care in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Compared to mental health providers, SUD providers reported lower practice of suicide care, lower self-efficacy, and lower effectiveness providing suicide care.  

Ocean Water Levels Continue to Rise
ALBANY, N.Y. (March 22, 2021) – In a recent study, Professor Igor Zurbenko and colleague Amy Potrzeba-Macrina analyzed global temperature data in order to forecast global water level patterns over the next several decades. The global temperature data collected indicated that temperature will continue to increase around the world, including Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Preexisting Mental Illness Associated with Elevated Mortality Risk among Medicaid-Insured Women with Breast Cancer
ALBANY, N.Y. (February 24, 2021) – In a recent study, UAlbany School of Public Health alum (DrPH, 2020) Dr. Wayne Lawrence collaborated with several faculty to investigate the impact of preexisting mental illnesses on all-cause and cause-specific mortality among Medicaid-insured women diagnosed with breast cancer. The researchers discovered that among women diagnosed with breast cancer, those with preexisting severe mental illness (SMI) at diagnosis were at an increased risk of overall mortality and cancer-specific mortality compared to women without mental illness.
Current research areas include:
  • Disparities
  • Genetic epidemiology
  • Infectious disease
  • Missing data techniques
  • Mixture models
  • Measurement errors
  • Social epidemiology
  • Stochastic processes
  • Time series
Two students sitting on a bench having a conversation
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Faculty
Retired & Adjunct Faculty
Baptiste, Mark, PhD
Bednarczyk, Robert A., PhD, MS
Birkhead, Guthrie S., MD, MPH
Carrascal, Alvaro, MD, MPH
DeHovitz, Jack, MD, MPH
DiRienzo, Gregory, PhD
Druschel, Charlotte, MD
Smith, Perry, MD
Strogatz, David, PhD, MSPH
Yucel, Recai, PhD

Fall 2020 Featured Faculty:

Dr. Bryon Backenson
Dr. Bryon Backenson
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Dr. Gus Birkhead
Dr. Gus Birkhead
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Dr. Allison Appleton
Dr. Allison Appleton
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Dr. Melissa Tracy
Dr. Melissa Tracy
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Fall 2020 Featured Research Projects:

Boy crying
Predicting & Preventing Violence
Mosquito on a leaf
Zika Transmission
Man outside on the street, staring into camera
Childhood Adversity & Depression
Beautiful building in downtown Albany on a overcast day
UPSIDE STUDY

The School of Public Health is conducting the UPSIDE study, which is funded by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and aims to better understand Hepatitis C (HCV) and related issues among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in Upstate New York. Because HCV is most commonly transmitted by injection drug, a behavior which has been increasing as part of the drug epidemic in the U.S. and New York, the spread of HCV has been increasing. Although PWID are the priority group to understand ongoing spread of HCV, few research studies have been conducted on this population in upstate New York.

Principal investigators Dr. Tomoko Udo and Dr. Eli Rosenberg are leading the UPSIDE study, in partnership with syringe exchange programs run by Catholic Charities Care Coordination Services in the Capital Region, the Alliance for Positive Health in Plattsburgh, and the Southern Tier AIDS Program in Norwich.

Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Nikki Malachowski
Administrative Manager
Room 131

1 University Place
Rensselaer, NY 12144
United States

Email
[email protected]
Phone
518-402-0372
Fax
518-402-0380
Office Hours

On Site: Wednesday, 8 am-4pm Bi-Weekly 

Virtual: Monday - Friday, 8 am-4 pm